Apparatus for the production of valuable products from refuse organic matter.



T. CRANEY. Q

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF VALUABLE PRODUCTS FROM REFUSE ORGANIC MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1913.

1,140,502.' Patented May 25,1915.

J I T WITNESSES: [WE/W0? v v 720M613 Cran;

. A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES P T NT OFFICE.

THOMAS CRANEY, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF VALUABLE PRODUCTS FROM REFUSE ORGANIC MATTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed June 28, 1913. Serial Ne. 776,263.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS CRANEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Valuable Products from Refuse Organic Matter, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to the manufacture of products from refuse organic matter, such as garbage, sawdust, etc., and it is the object of the invention: first, to obtain a maximum of the more valuable by-products; second, to produce an effective incinerator for the destruction of the residuum and the generation of heat utilized in other parts of the process.

With these objects in view, the invention comprises the improved apparatus as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation partly in section of the apparatus; and Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof.

Refuse organic matter, such as garbage, 1n the condition in which it is collected contains a relatively large percentage of water, which must be driven off before the carbonaceous material can be burned in an incinerating plant. The driving off of the water vapor requires the expenditure of ener without the accomplishment of any use 11] result other than the drying of the material, but after a certain degree of dryness 1s attained, then destructive distillation will convert a portion of the material 1nto valuable products. With my improved apparatus, I further increase the yield-of valuable byproducts by subjecting the refuse material to an initial fermentationv treatment, by which ethyl alcohol and other fermentation products are produced. In the subsequent drying these volatile products are carried off and collected, being commlngled with the products of destructive distlllation, such as methyl alcohol, acetic acid, etc.

section B, from which the ash may, be carried by a conveyer C. The material to be incinerated is fed into this furnace from the upper end thereof through a central conduit D, surrounding the up er part of which is a condensing chamber I i communicating with a discharge conduit F leading to'a series of condensersG ir' G etc. The'inlet conduit D receives the material from a suitable conveyer H and elevator I, so that this material may be continuously fed downward in the center or vertical axis of the furnace. The distance. down into the furnace which the conduit D extends may be varied according to the nature of the by-products.desired, and for this purpose one or more telescopic extension sections D and D are attached I to the lower end of the conduit D. J is a water jacket surrounding the chamber E and operating as a condenser for vapors im pinging against the wall. K is an annular trough at the lower end of the chamber for collecting the condensate and for feeding of an outer casing forming a water jacket and an inner casing for the condensate. The water 1s fed from one condenser to another in the opposite direction from the. passage of the vapors, so that the coldest water enters the condenser G from a conduit 0, and then passes through a conduit 0 to the condenser G', and from the latter through a conduit O to the condenser G. From this con denser the water is assed through a conduit 0 to the jacket and thus the warmest water is in this latter jacket. 1 Each of the condensers is also rovided with a discharge conduit I, from w ich the condensate is dis- A during which period fermentation takes place. This may be stimulated by theintroduction of "some suitable ferment. The

material is then fed either alone or commingled with other material, such as sawdust, through the conveyer H and elevator I to the conduit D, from which it'passes downward into the interior of the furnace casing A. The adjustable end portions D and D of the conduit D are so positioned that the material when liberated therefrom will be at the-desired height above the grate line. This will permit the hot gases generatedin the zone of combustion to. pass through the moist mass, carrying with them 1 the volatile products, such as ethyl alcohol produced by the fermentation. This, together with the heavier tarry products are carried upward into the conical chamber, where the heavier constituents are condensed incontacting with the conical wall E, which is maintained at a relatively low temperature by the surrounding water jacket J. The condensate will pass down the conical Wall in the trough K, from which it passes through the conduit L into the jacket M,

where it is subjected to the heat atthe lower portion ofthe furnace, and the more volaordinary temperatures will pass through all of the tanks, and from the last of the series 1s dlschargedthrough the conduit Y to suitable dlstlllation apparatus (not shown).

All of the energy required for carrying out the process is furnished by the combustion of the residue after the volatiles have been driyen off, and in case there is surplus heat, this may be utilized in the development of p ow er.

By ralsing or lowering the extension port1ons D and D of the conduit D by means of the cables A and 'A passing over pulleys B and B respectively the character of the destructive distillation products maybe varied, so that the same apparatus is capable of alternative use for the production of-alcohols, acetates or other compounds. My apparatus may also be used for the production of turpentlne from suitable materials, such as pine stumps or other woody fibrous material containing the turpentine. This material is fed'into the furnace in the same manner as has been described, and the turpentine is driven'ofl and collected in the condensers.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An apparatus for the treatment of refuse organic matter, comprising a furnace having a closed upper end, an inlet conduit for the refuse material passing through said upper end, a vapor chamber surrounding said inlet conduit, a condenser surrounding said inlet chamber, a conduit for the passage of vapors from said vapor chamber above said condenser, and means for collectingthe condensate in said chamber below said condenser.

2. An apparatus for the treatment of refuse organic matter, comprising a furnace having a chamber at the upper end thereof, an inlet conduit for the material passing axially through said chamber, a vapor'and gas discharge conduit connecting with the upper end of said chamber, a condenser surrounding said chamber, means for collecting the condensate below said condenser, a chamber surrounding the furnace below said collecting means, and means for passing the distillate into said lower chamber to redistill the 'same.

3. In an apparatus for treating refuse organic matter, a furnace having an active combustion zone at the lower end thereof and a destructive distillation zone thereabove, an inner .conduit passing downward through the upper end of the furnace, a condenser surrounding a portion above said destructive distillation zone, a collector for the condensate at the lower end of said condenser, a chamber surrounding the zone of active combustion, means for conducting the condensate into sald chamber, and ;a

vapor discharge conduit from said chamber and from the upper end of saidfurnace.

4. An apparatus for the: treatment of organic matter, comprising a furnace, an inlet conduit for said matter extending downward through the top of said furnace, a surrounding chamber for condensing the gases and vapors, and means below said chamber for collecting the condensate. I

In'testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. r

THOMAS C ANEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES P. BARRY, HENRI E. BOWMAN. 

